“I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history, true or feigned, with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse ‘applicability’ with ‘allegory’; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author. An author cannot of course remain wholly unaffected by his experience, but the ways in which a story-germ uses the soil of experience are extremely complex, and attempts to define the process are at best guesses from evidence that is inadequate and ambiguous.”

-J.R.R. Tolkien, Foreword to the Second Edition of The Lord of the Rings

Here are some things to check out:

Trailer for Silence, directed by Martin Scorcese, book by Shusaku Endo

Under the Shadow of His Wings by Fr. Gereon Goldmann

Teddy Bear Toss

The short story referenced in the episode is called “A Christmas Tale” by Francois Mauriac

The Oh Hellos Family Christmas Album

No man is a failure who has friends by Clarence the Angel

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